Recreational tiles are frequently used as flooring in a number applications ranging from athletic flooring to playground surfaces and beyond. Among other uses, tiles may be used as a court surface, for example, or as a sub-surface to which synthetic turf may be attached. Recreational tiles are often made of plastic, but may also be manufactured from other materials. One such tile is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,160 to Küng. Recreational tiles have many advantages over hard surfaces such as concrete, including the ability of the tiles to provide a more forgiving surface which may help to prevent player injuries.
Typically, a plurality of tiles is connected together via a tile fastening mechanism in order to form the desired surface. To prevent the surface from shifting from its intended position, several of the tiles may be secured to the ground surface (e.g., concrete, rock, etc.) using pins. However, the tiles naturally expand and contract as the temperature fluctuates, e.g., due to the freeze/thaw cycle, or as a result of pressure changes on the tiles (e.g., movement across the tiles). As the tiles expand and contract, the surface naturally shifts, if only slightly. The pins, which are intended to prevent the shifting, cause the tiles to buckle. Occasionally, the pin will rip through the tile to which it is secured. Tiles may be damaged as a result. If a damaged tile is in the middle of the surface, it can take significant effort and cost to remove the old tile and replace it with a new one.
In addition to the broken tiles due to flawed tile-to-surface fastening mechanisms, tile systems are prone to thievery. Tile systems are not inexpensive to install. The tiles themselves require expensive molding and superior materials, making the tiles costly to produce, and therefore, buy. Moreover, the surface upon which the tiles are installed must be properly prepared, requiring earth movers to ensure a flat surface, and laying rock and/or concrete so that the tiles are laid upon a hard surface. Due to the expense of putting in a tile system, many people who would otherwise like to have such a system cannot afford one. Unfortunately, due to the fastening mechanisms currently employed, stealing tiles from existing systems is quite easy. Thieves may simply walk up to a tile system and unsnap one or more tiles from the system.
It would therefore be desirable to have a tile fastening system that allows the tiles to flex and shift naturally without causing damage to the tiles, and to prevent thieves from being able to steal tiles from existing systems.